Holyhead High School

Infobox UK school
name = Ysgol Uwchradd Caergybi

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size = 240px
latitude = 53.31131
longitude = -4.63968
dms = dms
motto =
motto_pl =
established = 1949 [ [http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2007/jun/02/politicalcolumnists.politics (Correction to) How the Tory middle classes invented comprehensives] , Simon Hoggart, The Guardian, 28 June 2007, accessed 12 August 2008]
approx = 850
closed =
c_approx =
type =
religion =
president =
head_label = Headteacher:
head = Mr. Martin Wise B.Ed, M.Ed
r_head_label = Assistant Headteachers:
r_head = Mr. Peter Nutbourne,
Mr. Adam Williams,
Mrs Nia Wyn Roberts
chair_label = Chair of Governors
chair = Trefor Lloyd Hughes [http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/2008/07/24/holyhead-school-to-be-demolished-55578-21393869/ Holyhead School to be Demolished] , Daily Post, 24 July 2008, accessed 12 August 2008]
founder =
founder_pl =
specialist =
specialist_pl =
street = Caergybi
city =
county =
country = WAL
postcode = LL65 1NP
LEA = Isle of Anglesey
ofsted =
staff =
enrollment = 850
gender = mixed
lower_age =
upper_age =
houses =
colours =
publication =
free_label_1 = Sixth Form
free_1 = c. 100
free_label_2 =
free_2 =
free_label_3 =
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website =
website_name =

Holyhead High School ( _cy. Ysgol Uwchradd Caergybi) was the first comprehensive school in England and Wales, opening in 1949 as Holyhead County Schoolcite web|url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_20051025/ai_n15717384|title=Ten Questions|publisher=The Independent|date=25 October 2005] .

History

The school was formed in 1949 with the amalgamation of Holyhead Grammar and St Cybi Secondary school. Ysgol Syr Thomas Jones, Amlwch claims the title of the first purpose built comprehensive. Ysgol Gyfun Llangefni is claimed by some to be Britain's first comprehensive.

There was a number of reasons for the school to be the first "comp". The headmaster Mr Hughes was retiring and he was to be replaced by an enthusiast for Comprehensive education, Trefor Lovett. The new head became known as the "the first apostle of thecomprehensive movement". [http://www.holyhead.com/countyschool/index.html Holyhead County School] , Holyhead.com, accessed 12 August 2008] The transition was also assisted by the close proximity of St Cybi Secondary school and Holyhead Grammar; the schools that would be replaced. Obviously the backing of Anglesey Education Committee was essential.

The changes that Mr Lovett brought about were not unexpected as he has previous taught locally at Vaynor and Penderyn schools. The new school was certain that a child's future should not be determined at age eleven with the eleven plus exam. Previously children in Britain had all sat an exam at the end of their Junior school education and this decided whether you would attend the Grammar School or a Secondary Modern School. Mr Lovett was convinced that this was unfair and that their should be a firm Catchment area so that all the students irrespective of their background or abilities would attend the one school.

After two years, the new head reported, Quote|The school is rapidly approaching my concept of what a comprehensive school should be. On the grammar side, the facilities are good. The technical side is also rapidly developing and with the erection and equipping of the newengineering workshop the facilities or this type of education will be good. Wehave a large number of pupils of the modern school type and a real effort is being made to give them an education suitable to their aptitudes and abilities. Work of a far more practical nature must be introduced for these pupils and this demands further expansion in providing the requisite facilities and staff.

The school today

In 2006 there were approximately 850 pupils in the school which included about 100 in the sixth form. [http://www.estyn.gov.uk/inspection_reports/Ysgol_Uwchradd_Caergybi.pdf 2006 Inspection of the school by Estyn] , accessed 12 August 2008] The school had falling rolls in the years before and is much reduced since there were questions in the early 1960s in the House of Commons to then Education Minister Chris Chataway enquiring how the school was to cope with a roll of 1400 pupils. [http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/commons/1962/nov/22/holyhead-county-school Hansard] , 22 November 1962] Today there are a lot of spare places.

Twelve per cent of the students are able to speak Welsh fluently and four per cent have Welsh as their first language. The catchment area of the school is mainly the town of Holyhead and the area around the school has been highlighted as an area for development with nearly 30% of households having no wage earner. The inspection report highlights a number of areas where the school is below the Welsh National average.

Two years ago the school moved its sixth form out of the old red brick Cybi building and put that in the control of the local authority. Since then the building has become dilapidated and the education authority announced in 2008 they intend to demolish the building.

The falling rolls in the school are blamed partially on the reduced number of pupils coming from the local primary schools but also on "The Train Drain". [http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/2008/07/19/train-drain-of-pupils-from-holyhead-to-gwynedd-55578-21368525/ 'Train drain' of pupils from Holyhead to Gwynedd] , 19 July 2008, Owen R Hughes, Daily Post, accessed 12 August 2008 ] Every school morning forty children arrive from outside the area to attend the school, but over 270 leave for nearby Bangor on the mainland.

Alumni

of the comprehensive

*Glenys Kinnock, politician [cite web | url = http://www.glenyskinnock.org.uk/biography-kinnock/ | title = Glenys Kinnock Biography | author = Glenys Kinnock MEP website | accessdate = 2008-08-12]
*Tracey Morris, athlete [cite web | url = http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/northwest/halloffame/sport/traceymorris.shtml | title = Tracey Morris biography | author = BBC | accessdate = 2008-09-27 ]
*Albert Owen, politician [http://politics.guardian.co.uk/person/parliament/0,,-6520,00.html Albert Owen biography] , Guardian, accessed 12 August 2008]
*Tony Roberts, Welsh International and QPR goalkeeper [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/north_west/3044730.stm QPR honours Holyhead hero] , BBC, 4 July 2003, accessed 12 August 2008]

of predecessor schools

*Cledwyn Hughes (1916-2002) Baron Cledwyn of Penrhos [‘CLEDWYN OF PENRHOS’, Who Was Who, A & C Black, 1920–2007; online edn, Oxford University Press, Dec 2007 [http://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/article/oupww/whowaswho/U11168, accessed 22 Aug 2008] ]
*David Williams (1877-1927) Professor in Pastoral Theology [‘WILLIAMS, David’, Who Was Who, A & C Black, 1920–2007; online edn, Oxford University Press, Dec 2007 [http://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/article/oupww/whowaswho/U204694, accessed 22 Aug 2008] ]

References